Vending machine



April 20 ,"1926. 1,581,867

- J. A. RAY

VENDING MAGHI NE Filed May 15 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Inueniar: I

April 20,1926.

J. A. RAY

VENDING MACHINE Filed May 15, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 20,1926.

J. A. RAY

' VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 15, 1924 framework 13.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

I UNITED STATES 1 JOHN A. RAY, or KIssIMMEE," FLORIDA.

A VENDING MACHINE,"

Application filed May 15,1924. Serial No, 713,552.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. RAY, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Kissimmee, in the county ofOsceola and State of Florida, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Thisinvention relates to a coin-controlled vending machine which is adapted for use in connection with various kinds of articles placed on sale, and the invention has for its object to provide a machine of this kind which is simple in construction and easily operated, the article carrier of. said machine bei-ng somewhat varied in construction, according to the articles with which the machineis intended to be charged or loaded, so that the machine may be used in connection with all kinds of small articles, as cigars or cigarettes, or with various kinds of larger articles, as packages of tobacco or cakes of soap, as may be desired.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a. front v view .of the improved. machine, Fig. 2' aside view of thesame with the side casing omitted, Fig. 3 a vertical section of the same, Fig. tis a detailview of a portion of ,the operating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes a suitable casing within which is a suitable Journalled in an upright portion of the framework 13 are two drums 14 and 15. Attached at its opposite ends to the said drums 14: and 15 is a flexible carrier consisting preferably of sprocket chains 16 to which are attached cross bars or plates 17 having outwardly projecting parts or flanges 18 between which the articles to be sold are placed, and these flanged cross plates, which serve 'asholders for the articles, will be of any size according to the kind of goods with which the vending machine is to be charged. The flexible carrier in running from the drum 1a to the drum 15 passes around a roller 19 which is provided with pins 20, these pins forming sprocket wheel portions adapted for engagement with the sprocket chalns 16.

A proper tension for holding the flexible carrier taut is secured by means of a volute spring 21 connected directly with the shaft 15' to which the drum 15 is attached. Mounted on said shaft is a ratchet wheel 22 engaged by a spring-presseddetent pawl 23, so that the said spr ng 21 may be ad Justed to givesaid flexiblecar'rier any desired tension. A brake or friction device of any desired character may be used in connection with the drum 14, for the pur pose of holding said drum stationary except when the sprocket roller 19 is operated; and this brake or friction device may consist of a friction washer or washers- 24c pawl 27, and pivotally mounted on said shaft 25 is an operating crank or handle 28 carrying a spring-pressed pawl 29 which may be actuated manually for imparting a partial rotary movement to the sprocket wheel roller 19, for the purpose of ad vancing the flexible carrier or belt, com- :prising the sprocket chains 16 and cross pieces 17, and thus discharge an article from said carrier or belt. H

Connected with the operating crank or handle 28 is a'link30: carrying a pin 31 which, whenthe said crank or handle moved forward, is so. arranged as to come in contact with a shoulder 32 on a fixed plate or portlon on the frame of the machine, and

thus prevent a full movement of the said crank or handle so that the article carrier or belt will not be advanced a suificientdistance to discharge an article from the machine; but when a coin 33, which has been inserted in the coin chute 34, is in the position shown in Fig. 4 the said pin 31 will be lifted above the shoulder 32 and thus per- 'mit a full movement of the crank or handle 28 to discharge an article from the belt or carrier, the same passing downover a chute 35 into a receptacle 36 at the front of the machine. When a coin is slipped into the coin chute it passes down the same by gravity until it is stopped by the pin 31. when the said pin is in the position denoted by dotted lines in Fig. 4, but'when the said pin is lifted over the coin, so as to pass over the shoulder 32, the coin is released and may pass down the chute into a suitable drawer or receptacle 37. After the crank or handle 28 has been operated, as just described, and is released, it will be returned to its normal position by a coil spring 38. I

The casing 12 is preferably provided in front with a door 39 having a lock 40, so that ready access is afforded to the interior of said casing when the machine is to be charged by loading the flexible carrier with the articles to be sold. hen the machine is empty the carrier belt will be mostly wound on the drum 15, and as articles are placed on said carrier the drum lat will be slowly turned by the crank 41 connected with the shaft 42 of the said drum 14: to wind up said carrier, now charged or loaded, on said drum 14:. 1

The operation of the improved machine will be readily understood from the foregoing. When a purchaser wishes to obtain an article with which themachine is charged such person inserts a coinin the coin slot 48 in the casing. The coin passes down the coin chute 3 until it is stopped by contact with the pin 31 against which it rests temporarily. The handle 28 may now be operated by its knob 28 and as said handle is moved forward the engagement of said pin 81 with the coin causes said pin to be lifted above the stop shoulder 32, so that a full movement of the said handle is permitted to discharge an article from the flexible carrier into the receptacle 36. lVhen the said pin passes "forward over said stop shoulder the coin is released and passes down its chute into the coin receptacle 37 or where else it may be desired to deposit it. The operating handle 28, when released, is returned to its normal or first position by the spring 28, and the machine will thus be set inreadiness for the next operation.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a vendingmachine, the combination with a pair of spaced drums, of a flexible carrier connected atfits opposite ends to said drums and being of alength to permit coiling of the same respectively about said drums, cross pieces connecting said carrier,

and means comprising outwardly projecting,

plat-es carried by said carrier adapted when said carrier is coded on sand drums to form side walls of compartments in which the goods to be dispensed are housed.

2. In a vending machine, the combination with av pair of spaced. drums, of a flexible carrier connected at its opposite ends to said drums and being of a length to permit coil ing of the same respectively about said drums, cross pieces connecting said carrier, means comprising outwardly projecting plates carried by said carrier adapted when said carrier is coiled on said drums to form side walls of compartments in which the goods to be dispensed are housed, and an operating roller having positive engagement with said carrier for advancing the same step by step.

3. In a vending machine, the combination with a pair of spaced drums, of a flexible carrier connected at its opposite ends to said drums and being of a length to permit coiling of the same respectively about said drums, cross pieces connecting said carrier, means comprising outwardly projecting plates carried by said carrier adapted when said carrier is coiled on said drums to form side walls of compartments in which the goods to be dispensed are housed, an operating roller having positive engagement with said carrier, and means carried by said roller for causing a step by step advancement of said carrier. 4c. In a vending machine, the combination with a pair of spaced drums, of a flexible carrier eonnectedat its opposite ends to said drums and being of a length to permit coiling of the same respectively. about said drums, cross pieces connecting said carrier, means comprising outwardly projecting plates carried by saidcarrier adapted when said carrier is coiled on said drums to form side walls of compartments in which the goods to be dispensed are housed, and intermittently operable means carried by said roller for causing a step by step advancement of said carrier.

In testimony whereof I attix my signature.

JOHN A. RAY. 

